The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-05
wasbineton's ROYAL Visitors.

A ripple of excitement has been caused
in Washington, which has been rather quiet
since Congress adjourned, by the arrival of
Her Majesty Queen Kapiolani, of Hawaii.
She will remain there only long enough to
visit the chief points of interest, to take
trip down the river to Mount Vernon and
to dine at the White House. By Saturday
she viii be ready to start for Boston. 1t is
understood to be her intention to visit Eng
land before returning to her home.
The Queen is 80 years of age and is said to
be quite fine looking She certainly dis
charges the duties of her position gracefully
and with great good sense. Her first hus-
band was Namakeha, who was prominent
for no other reason than that he was related
to the late Queen Dowager Emma. She left
school to marry him, and soon after his
death she married Kalakaua, the present
King, and thus became Queen.
She is niece of that Kapiolani who is
known in Hawaiian history as the Great,
because of an act performed over sixty
years ago which destroyed a superstition
with which the natives were burdened. The
volcanoes of the Sandwich Islands were re-
garded by the natives with awe, and some
of them confess that they still have that
feeling with regard to Kilaua. They be
lieved that the goddess Pele dwelt in the
volcanoes, and that she was very revenge
full and had to be appeased with sacrifices.
They never thought of passing a
spot where there was lava
from the volcanoes without a feeling of
terror, and their regular practice was to
propitiate her by Offering sacrifices. Kapio-
lani, who about 1920 became converted to
Christianity, determined to show the people
that there was no such goddess as Pele, and
that, therefore, they had nothing to fear
when approaching the volcanoes. One of
the beliefs was that no one could throw
stones into the crater of Kilaua and 1--we.
Kapiolani announced her determination to
perform this act, and thus prove to the peo-
pie that their fears We're without reasonab BILE
foundation. With a small party of adher-
ents, and accompanied by a missionary, she
assembled the mountain until she reached the
summit, IA, 900 feet above the sea. There
she met an old woman who figured as the
priestess of Pele, and who warned her to de-
sist from her purpose, as death would be her
portion. She was not alarmed, however,
and with the missionary descended a
little way into the crater and
threw stones into the seething lake of fire
1000 feet below. At the same time she
asserted that Pele was no god, but that if
she were she might convince the people of
the fact by some manifestation of her power.
OF course there was no manifestation, and
Kapiolani had the satisfaction of seeing that
what she had done was not without its effect
in removing the terrible superstition with
which the people were oppressed.
Queen Kapiolani is accompanied by Her
Royal Highness Princess Lydia Liliuolsalani,
who is sister of King Kalakaua, and who,
if she outlive him, will succeed him as the
ruler of Hawaii, She is 40 years of age,
and is the wife of Lieut.. Gen. John o. Domi-
mis-, who commands the forces of the king
dom. He was born in Massachusetts,, but
was educated at the Royal School of Hawaii,
and possesses in an eminent degree the con-
fidence of the King. The Queeps and rlbHr
party are receiving great deal Of attention
at Washington